Composite fence-post.



P ATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

B. F. STULTZ.

COMPOSITE FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

I 1. H, H I f I III nll l I ll l|| llll IN I 1 1 1 c V////////Z////7/////4/ /7/ V/ UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

COMPOSITE FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,550, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed May 14,1904.

To r1177 wit/mt it hwy concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. STULTz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Composite Fence-Posts; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to fence-posts and similar posts, columns, and the like, and the invention has reference particularly to posts that are composed of different kinds of materials, such as metal and plastic composition hardened.

The object of the invention is to provide improved composite posts, particularly fenceposts, which will not be liable to fracture or if fractured will hold together without materially detracting from their utility.

Vith the above-mentioned and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel improvements in the metallic members forming parts of the posts, in the novel means by which the plastic material and the metallic members are held together, and in the novel means for fastening fence-wires to the posts; and the invention consists, further, in the novel parts and the combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, at the plane of the forward metallic members of a fencepost constructed substantially in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2, a fragmentary vertical central sectional view; Fig. 3, a fragmentary side elevation of one of the metallic members of the post; Fig. at, a front elevation of a connected pair of metallic members forming parts of a post; Fig. 5, a horizontal sectional view approximately at the line 1 1 in Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a fragmentary perspective view showing a fence-wire secured to a post by means of the novel fastener, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the detached fastening devices for attaching the horizontal fence-wires to the posts.

Serial No. 207.902. (No model! Similar reference characters designate like parts or features in the several figures of the drawings.

In construction the post comprises a body part A, which may be composed of any one of various materials suitable to be molded in a plastic condition and that will subsequently become hard. The body part is molded to the desired shape and size in well-known types of molds. The post also comprises a suitable number of metallic binders, preferably four, as B B B B all of somewhat similar form, inclosed in the body part A during the operation of molding the post, the binders being arranged in the corner portions extending longitudinally nearly to the ends thereof. Each two binders, as B and B, are connected together by an integral bar a. The binders may be composed of iron or steel rods or wire of round, square, or other form in cross-section or of twisted wire-strands, as may be preferred.

The binders are each provided with a suitable number of eyes, as b or b, disposed along the body and at the free end thereof, the eyes being formed by looping the rods or wires, each loop being approximately semicircular in contour. At the points a, where the eyes connect with the body of the binder, the wire is bent abruptly, so that, as seen in Figs. 1

and 4 in front elevation, the bodies of the binders are approximately straight, but overlap along the bases of the eyes. The eyes of a pair of binders project from the bodies thereof toward the opposite bodies and are arranged in staggered order, one binder of each connected pair beingshorter than the other, as shown. The plastic material fills the eyes, and thus practically each binder is divided into a number of integral links extending from eye to eye connected at their ends to the body part A, which is thereby strengthened in both directions, longitudinally and transversely, the short sections or links between anchorings being of great advantage over binders anchored only at the ends of the body part of the post.

Each post also comprises a suitable number of fastening devices whereby wire fencing may be attached to the posts Whether the fencing be diagonal woven wires or composed of horizontal and otherwires. Each fastener comprises an eye C and a flexible hook D, projecting from the front of the post, an eye and a hook being formed integrally, the eye having two shanks d and e, and the hook having a shank g, connected to the shank (Z by a loop f, serving as an anchor for both shanks. The end of the shank a has a crook h 2', serving as an anchor therefor. The shanks and anchors therefor are embedded in the plastic material while being molded, each hook being arranged above an eye and the point of the hook extending into the eye, from which it may readily be removed by bending the shank g of the hook at the face of the body A.

In practical use if it is desired to attach woven wire to the posts the Web will be placed against the fronts of the posts, the eyes and the hooks projecting through the meshes, and the usual single lock rod for each post may be pushed through all of the eyes (J at the sides of the hooks, which may be bent laterallyout of the way, if necessary. In some cases there may be opportunities of also using the hooks if fence-wires happen to rest on the eyes. When horizontal wires are used, they will be stretched on the tops of the eyes C (as the wire j in Fig. 6) after first bending up the hooks D. Then the hooks will be bent down over the wires into the eyes, after which the ends of the hooks will be bent outwardly and upwardly under the ends of the eyes, as in Fig. 6, effectually securing the wires, as j, to the posts. When desired, sufficient force may be applied so as to cause the hooks to flex the fence-wires into the openings of the eyes, thus preventing the fence-wires from moving endwise.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim as new is 1. A fence-post including plastic material, and fence-fastening devices comprising each an eye having a shank bedded in the plastic material and a hook having a shank bedded in the plastic material adj acently to the shank of the eye.

2. A fence-post including plastic material, and fence-fastening devices comprising each an eye and a cooperating flexible hook formed integrally and having shanks bedded in the plastic material, the hooks being adapted to be bent into and out of the eyes and to rigidly lock the fence-wires to the posts.

3. A composite postincluding binders each comprising a body and amultiplicity of eyes disposed separately along the body at one side of the longitudinal plane thereof, the eyes being formed by looping the material of which the binders are composed.

4:. In afence-post, the combination with the body composed of plastic material hardened, of the binders having portions thereof looped about portions ofv the plastic material, the eyes for supporting fence-wires, and flexible hooks having shanks bedded in the plastic material and cooperating with the eyes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. STULTZ.

Witnesses:

FRED W. FAHLYREN, IRA H. CHURCH. 

